Saudi-led alliance vows to wipe out terrorism

KABUL (Pajhwok): As Saudi Arabia hosted officials from 40 Muslim countries for the maiden meeting of a counterterrorism alliance, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the gathering was a clear signal to eradicate extremism.

In his keynote speech on Sunday, the crown prince said: “In past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries... with no coordination among them. This ends today…” He vowed to chase the terrorists until they were wiped out.

SPA quoted him as saying the 40 countries were sending a clear signal that they would work together to support the military, financial, intelligence and political efforts of every member state.

Secretary-General of the coalition, Lt-Gen. Abdulelah bin Othman Al-Saleh, spoke on the nature of the coalition's action -- a constructive platform seeking greater cooperation among member states.

At a press conference with Military Commander of Coalition Gen. Rachel Sharif, Al-Salih said ministers of defence exchanged information and initiatives.

He indicated there were institutional initiatives, plans and strategies to eliminate the sources of terrorism and funding through information, military channels and media.

Participation in implementation of the initiatives would be optional for the members, he explained, saying several initiatives needed to be enforced at the same time. Each initiative will be subject to continuous monitoring and evaluation.

Gen. Rachel Sharif said that the coalition would work on different tracks, including the exchange of intelligence and military training and acquisition of expertise within this framework.

The coalition would support member states in need of combating terrorism, whether they needed technical, material support or training, the former Pakistan army chief said.

Announced in 2015 under the auspices of Prince Mohammed, the alliance is aimed to mobilise and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate the exchange of information and help members build their own counterterrorism capacity.